Photographer s drying-rack



(No Model.) W. H. LEWIS.

PHOTOGRAPHERS DRYING RACK. .No. 589,843. 9 Patented Sept. 14, 1897.

F J? F WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT Gr mes...

\VILLIAM H. LENIS, OF HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHERS DRYING-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,843, dated September 14, 1897. Application filed October 16, 1896. Serial No. 609,137. (No model.)

To (til whom it 11m concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Huntington, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying- Racks for Photographic Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in drying-racks for photographic plates. As they have heretofore been constructed two parts have been pivoted together, so as to make what is called the sawbuck-rack, which when operated is adapted to hold a single row of plates, and in order to accommodate plates of different dimensions they have ordinarily been made of a medium size, so as to be adapted to the greatest possible range of plates, but it frequently happens that plates either too small or too large have to be dried, so that the rack cannot safely be employed, thus necessitating either some makeshift device or else the purchase by the photographer of two or more racks and the multiplying of the number of appliances necessary.

Under my invention I apply to the sawbuck-racks above referred to an auxiliary swinging or pivoted part which has grooves or recesses for the reception of the edges of the plates upon three of its surfaces, so that when swung in one position the rack becomes substantially the old form, adapted to receive large plates, and because of the presence of my invention the rack may be made consid erably larger than under the old methods, so that when the auxiliary swinging frame is in its retracted position very large plates may be supported upon it, and when medium-sized plates are to be dried, the auxiliary frame being swung outwardly, afifiords a proper support on one of its sides for medium-sized plates and on another side a support for smaller plates, and there is also the following ad vantagethat when the auxiliary frame is swung out into its extended position the capacity of the rack is just double the capacity of those heretofore known.

In the drawings hereof, Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the apparatus, the auxiliary frame being swung outwardly or into its extended position. Fig. Zillustrates an end wise elevation of the rack in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates an endwise view similar to Fig. 2, with the auxiliary frame in its closed position.

A A indicate the main side bars of the outer frame of the rack, and B is the crossbar at the upper ends of the side bars A A.

O O are the side bars of the inner rack, and D is the cross-bar, attached to its upper ends. These two parts are pivoted together at E E', as usual, and the front surfaces of the cross-bars B and D are provided with the grooves or recesses F F for receiving and supporting the edges of the plates, as usual.

As thus far described the apparatus may be constructed in any preferred manner.

G is the auxiliary swinging frame or bar. It has at each end metallic arms H H, which are pivoted at I I to the side bars C 0. These arms have an extended and curved portion J J, which when the auxiliary frame is in its outward position engage with the under edge of the'cross-bar B, as shown, and support the auxiliary frame G at substantially right angles to the frame A. The crossbar 6} of the auxiliary frame is provided with grooves or recesses K K K on its three operative surfaces-that is to say, on its front and back side and on its upper edge.

The operation is as follows: When the auxiliary frame is swung backwardly against the cross-bar B, the parts assuming the position shown in Fig. 3, then the apparatus is adapted to receive large plates, as shown at X, and when the auxiliary frame is swung outwardly into its operative position, as shown in Fig. 2, then 1nediu1n-sized plates may be supported between the edge of the auxiliary frame and the cross-bar D of the inner frame C, and at the same time smaller plates X maybe supported between the side of the crossbar G, that is now uppermost, and the cross-bar B of the exterior frame. In this manner plates of all sizes may be supported upon this rack and will be held by it safely without danger of fracture, and also a greater number of plates may be supported upon it than upon any other frame known to me.

It will be obvious that it is not essential that the frames A B and C D should be piv otally connected with each other so that they may be collapsed. My invention maybe applied to any suitable form of frame, whether rigid or otherwise constructed, and whether in the form shown or in the form of a mere groove made in a block, as'is sometimes the ease; and it will be obvious to those Who are familiar with this art that inodifieationsmay be made'in. the details of construction and that any suitable material mav be used for the whole or parts of the, apparatus. Iclaim- I 1. The combination with. a drying-rack I composed of'two frames pivoted together, of

to fold. entirely within it, for the purposes set forth.

The combination in a drying-rack of a mainframe and an auxiliary frame pivoted to it, and adapted to two positions relative thereto, said auxiliaryframe having'reeesses for the reception of the edges of the photographic plates on two or more sides, for the purposes set forth.

4. In a drying-rack for photographic plates an auxiliaryframe adapted to be pivoted to a drying-rack embodying a cross-bar having J recesses for the reception of the edges of the plates on two or more sides, and arms at its ends whereby it may be pivotaliy supported on the said rack, for the purposes set forth. Signed at Huntington,i n'the county of Suffolk and State of New York, this lZth-day of October, A. D. 1-896.

' I WILLIAM H. LEXVIS. Witnesses: I

DOUGLASS CoNKLIN, HARRY S. WEEKns. 

